Joel Plaskett clutches one of six East Coast Music Awards he won in 2008.Joel Plaskett clutches one of six East Coast Music Awards he won in 2008. (Canadian Press)

Halifax singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett has a leading eight nominations for the 2010 East Coast Music Awards, scheduled for next March in Sydney, N.S.

Rapper Classified, indie rockers In-Flight Safety and Caledonia, and singer-songwriters Amelia Curran and Chris Kirby also earned multiple nods as nominations were released Tuesday.

Dave Carroll, who earned instant renown earlier this year with his video and song taking United Airlines to task for breaking his guitar, has a single nomination for entertainer of the year. He is competing against solo artists such as Plaskett, Classified and folk-blues singer David Myles.

Also vying for the honour are In-Flight Safety, flying high on the success of this year's We Are an Empire, My Dear, veteran New Brunswick band The Divorcees and Gypsophilia, who will play in the Rising Star showcase as part of the ECMA celebrations.

ECMA selected nominations
Entertainer of the year
  • Classified
  • Dave Carroll
  • David Myles
  • Gypsophilia
  • In-Flight Safety
  • Joel Plaskett
  • The Divorcees
Best male artist
  • Chris Kirby, Vampire Hotel
  • Classified, Self-Explanatory
  • Dave Gunning, We're All Leaving
  • Dave Marsh, The True Love Rules
  • Joel Plaskett, Three
  • Lennie Gallant, If We Had A Fire
  • Pascal Lejeune, Adélaïde
Best female artist
  • Amelia Curran, Hunter, Hunter
  • Catherine MacLellan, Water In The Ground
  • Coco Love Alcorn, Joyful
  • Erin Costelo, Fire and Fuss
  • Jenn Grant, Echoes
  • Jessica Rhaye, Good Things
  • Kim Wempe, Where I Need to Be
Best group
  • Caledonia, We Are America
  • In-Flight Safety, We are an Empire, My Dear
  • Madison Violet, No Fool for Trying
  • The Motorleague, Black Noise
  • The Novaks, Things Fall Apart
  • Two Hours Traffic, Territory

Plaskett, the Dartmouth, N.S.-based indie rocker who won six ECMAs last year with his band Emergency, has a nomination for best male solo artist this year.

He's also up for recording of the year and best pop recording for Three as well as songwriter of the year for Through & Through & Through. In the single of the year category, he has nods for both Through & Through & Through and You Let Me Down.

Classified, the stage name of Halifax rapper Luke Boyd, has six nominations, including best male artist, best album for Self-Explanatory and best single, video and rap recording for Anybody Listening.

In-Flight Safety also has six nods, including best recording and best alternative album, and best single and best songwriter for Model Homes.

Newfoundland native Amelia Curran goes into the awards with four nominations, including best female artist, best recording and best folk recording for Hunter, Hunter and songwriter of the year for The Mistress.

Fellow Newfoundlander Kirby has nods for best male artist, best recording for Vampire Hotel and best soul single for Come Clean.

Halifax band Caledonia, also with four nominations, are up for the Rising Star Award award, as well as best recording for We Are America and best single for Scott's House.

The East Coast Music Awards will be handed out March 7 in Sydney, N.S., following a five-day music and industry convention.

Musicians who call the Atlantic provinces home are eligible.